What are you thinking of the story and characters so far? Are you enjoying their interaction, what do you think about Ryker? Who should he be with in the end, or should he remain alone? Anyway, review it so I know what you guys are thinking.

The story should now be halfway through or passed a little, the original I have has more chapters than those posted here, I've added some and deleted parts that I found unnecessary in the review. This story will be completed, don't worry. I 'm still writing, but I must end soon, I think. Anyway enjoy.

Thanks.

Ryker and Wendy were returning from work. It was simple, they were away for only two days, but they had fun. Nothing like ending up with a bunch of weak, idiot thugs. To tell the truth, the mage left the hard work with the little Dragon Slayer, he trusted that she would be able to take them all down without any difficulty, and that's exactly what happened. The contractor thanked them, they enjoyed a small celebration party, ate and drank, slept in comfortable beds, and were now heading home.

"Thank you for invite me on this mission, Ryker," thanked Wendy.

"No need to thank me," he said looking at her as they walked back to the guild. "It wasn't even a complicated mission, you ended up with them", he said making the young girl blush with shyness.

"But it was fun", the little girl said smiling. "It's the first mission I've done with you, so it was special," she smiles, leaving Ryker not knowing what to say or what to think.

"Thanks, I think," he says. Something in his chest warmed, a sense of belonging and caring, as if he meant something to someone. "But...why is that ?"

"Because we're friends," she says, bouncing. "And you said you consider me a sister, so it's special when we go on missions as a family. And the first one is special because it's the first of many adventures we like," she smiles at someone she's starting to admire, even though he's a bit grim.

It was hard to tell what the mage was feeling, no one said things like that to him and he had to admit that that period he was going through in that guild was messing a lot with his feelings. He looks at the little one beside him bouncing happily and can't help but feel content and loved.

He pulls her into a hug, taking the young girl by surprise, who for a while has no reaction, but then hugs him back. It was a different hug, not like Erza or Natsu or Gray or anyone else, but it was a hug of need, as if he desperately needed affection. And it was, that brother needed that hug more than she did, and Wendy made a point of showing how much she liked him, even though she only knew each other for a short time.

"Thanks Wendy," he said in a soft, honest voice. "Listen! I will always defend you, I won't let anything bad happen to you, even if I die for it", the determination in her voice said it all.

"I'll defend you too, I'll get stronger and protect those I love, including you," she said blushed but determined.

The two wizards parted and Ryker ruffled his youthful hair, he had a genuine, honest smile on his face. They both smiled at each other and walked back to the guild.

It didn't take them long and they were facing the front door, but something was wrong. It was strangely quiet, something impossible for this bunch of crazy people. What would have happened?

"Why is so quiet?", Ryker said, standing in the doorway.

"I do not know. Is weird! Did something happen!?", Wendy said scared.

"Calm down Wendy", the wizard comforted her with a hand on her head. "The guild has powerful mages, they could fend off any threat. Why don't we go in and see what's going on," he said and the young woman nodded.

They opened the door and the guild was in perfect condition, but there was no one, no sign of life.

"Now this is weird, there's no one here. Where did everyone go?" asked Ryker. He looked at his little mate who seemed to be listening intently. "What was it Wendy?" he asked her.

"I'm hearing noises coming from the beach, behind the guild, where we were training," she replied.

"Is everyone there? And what would they be doing?", the magician asked curiously.

"Well, just going there to find out," Wendy said smiling.

Off they went, left the guild and headed to the beach, where they found many guild members having fun, swimming, playing beach volleyball and interacting. Wendy's eyes sparkled.

"Let's go over there, Ryker," she said excitedly taking her mate over there.

"Wendy, Ryker", called Lucy when she saw them, she was wearing a minimal bikini, which was noticed by Ryker.

"What's going on here?", the wizard asked.

"Me and Natsu did a job on a farm and the owner decided to pay us with meat, we can say", the blonde said a little embarrassed. "Of course Natsu accepted. When we came back, the master thought we should take the opportunity to have a party outdoors and have a barbecue", she said with a smile.

"It was actually a good idea," Ryker said. However, something started to bother him, the smell, that smell, he recognized and it wasn't pleasant, it reminded him of a terrible moment he had to go through and his stomach started to turn over.

"Ryker, Wendy, Lucy, all right?", Mira said coming closer to them.

"We're fine, Mira-san," said the little one.

"How was the mission?". Mira was wearing a sexy, but behaved, bikini, that Ryker didn't even notice, asked.

"Easy, Ryker helped a lot," Wendy said smiling at the bigger wizard, but she saw something strange, like he was sick. He was pale, sweating cold, and shivering. That scared her.

"Ryker, is everything alright?", the young woman asked.

"Tell me?" he said with difficulty, worrying everyone around him. "Did you burn this animal with skin?"

Lucy and Mira looked at each other and Wendy didn't understand, she was just worried. "Well, Natsu thought it would be faster to bake using his fire. So he kind of burned it down. Is there a problem, Ryker?" Lucy said.

"The smell, this damn smell", when he finished saying he ran to a corner of the beach, near some bushes, knelt on the ground, no longer resisting and vomited, and again, and again, and again.

"Ryker!" , shouted Wendy running and standing beside him on the ground, Mira and Lucy followed. "What happened? Are you okay?" , her voice denoted concern and the eyes of the other two as well.

"Sorry Wendy," he said, recovering but still nauseous from the smell. "This smell reminds me…I don't want to smell this smell," there was something in her voice that scared everyone there.

"Troia," Wendy said, and immediately Ryker stopped feeling nauseous, surprising him. "I can't do anything about the smell, but it won't make you sick," she said.

Ryker looked impressed, she had more skill than he thought. He knew she was strong, but that little girl still had a lot to show. "Thank you, this helps", he said getting up.

"Is everything okay?" Mira worriedly holding one of his hands, and looking him in the eyes. They showed concern and affection. The other two blushed at the sight of their proximity, but ended up with a smile.

"Oh, I am Mira," he said awkwardly. He looked at her for a moment and noticed her outfit, he couldn't help but admire her. They were friends and he saw her that way, but he didn't deny she was beautiful, too. A strong heat was felt on his face, which made him turn his face away shyly.

"Then we can have fun", Mira said smiling going to the middle of the beach dragging Ryker with her. Wendy and Lucy laughed at the two, amid protests from the wizard, who made no effort to resist.

The mage kept talking, actually he was more listening than talking, with some guild members around Mira, Wendy and Lucy. Later he decided to take a walk along the beach and unwind for a while. Being around a lot of people was still tiring for him, deciding to just walk around.

He was walking calmly along the beach until he came across Juvia sunbathing. It was a beautiful landscape, he had to admit, she wearing her purple bikini with white polka dots. "Hey Juvia", he greets her.

"Ryker- san !?", she looks at him, taken by surprise.

"I thought you'd be with Gray in the water," he point to the ice mage in the lake, battling Natsu in what looked like a swim test.

"Juvia has other activities that don't include being by Gray-sama's side all the time," she blushes just saying her lover's name.

"Pretty mature of you," he says and notes that the tips of his toes are two streams leading down to the lake, and that for some reason Natsu is complaining that he can't get out of his seat, while Gray darts forward in their swimming contest.

"Juvia agrees", she sad with all his satisfaction.

"Hey weird!", a strong voice calls him, the magician turns to the direction of the sound and sees a Gajeel coming towards him with his characteristic smile.

"What do you want Gajeel?", he asks.

"You're not bothering the rain woman, are you?" he says a little threateningly.

"And what are you? Her bodyguard?" , Ryker says in derision.

"Juvia is fine Gajeel-kun. Ryker-san was just talking to Juvia," she says sitting in the beach chair.

"Less bad. And what the fuck are these clothes? This is a beach, idiot," Gajeel says indicating Ryker's standard outfits, which don't go with a beach at all.

"I don't have beach clothes, pinhead. Besides, I didn't even know there was going to be a party here," the wizard growls.

"Gihihihi! That's what makes being so cold and indifferent. Do you want me to go shopping with you?", Gajeel taunts him sarcastically, laughing and showing all his teeth.

"Gajeel-kun, don't provoke him! Juvia is sure Erza and Mira-san can accompany Ryker-san shopping if he asks", she says in her innocent and sweet way, with sparkles in her eyes.

"Awww ! How beautiful!", the Iron Dragon Slayer continues to provoke.

"Want to shut up you two!" Ryker yells, pointing at them both. "I have enough clothes and I don't need help." Ryker frowns even more, but a flash of thought pops into his mind. He knew Gajeel was proud so he decided to tease him too.

"And you Gajeel?", it starts. "You were one of the badases back in the day, an S-Class wizard. Doesn't it bother you to be demoted when changing guilds? Of course you can always go back to being an S-Class, but...in your current condition I find it kind of difficult", he says smiling mischievously.

The iron mage's eyes glare at him fiercely as he clenches his fists and grits his teeth, ready to attack the other mage. How dare he say he was weak and unable to become an elite wizard again? He just read a stupid document from him, he didn't know him. He was going to get what he deserved.

"Gajeel-kun!", Juvia calls him, taking him out of his state. "Please don't fight on a day like today."

"Shut up Juvia!", he screams. "You heard what this bastard said. That we're not good enough to be an S-Class wizard."

"Juvia heard. And she knows Ryker-san is wrong, everyone in Fairy Tail is strong and can be an S-Class and that's why exams are so hard here. But that only strengthens the guild. And Juvia also knows that Gajeel-kun can perfectly defeat Ryker-san and if he needs help, Juvia would be happy to help", this last part had a little more threat from the water mage, something unusual for her. But no one speaks ill of their friends in front of her and gets away with it. "But today is a day to celebrate, so please fight another day"

Gajeel growls but agrees not to hit the bastard in front of him for now. Ryker just chuckles lightly and looks at the two of them, he's even amused at it. It brought him memories.

"I was just kidding," he apologizes. "I was teasing you, don't take this seriously. And I didn't say you two couldn't be an S-Class , I just said you couldn't," he said pointing to Gajeel. "She…", he said turning to Juvia who was looking at him curiously, "…she has the potential to be the strongest in the guild".

"WHAT!?" the two shouted together.

"Well anyway. I didn't mean you screwhead is weak, on the contrary," Ryker continued. "And as a matter of fact, I was once in the elite too, and now I'm just an ordinary soldier, and I don't care," he said with a shrug.

"Were you a fucking S-Class mage !?" said Gajeel in surprise.

"Not exactly, but it was like, let's say. We called Special Forces," he explained. "But anyway, if you'll excuse me…", he said and left to continue walking along the beach. The two watched him go, with some curiosity.

"Gajeel- kun!", Juvia called him. "Do you think Juvia can be the strongest in the guild one day?"

Gajeel looked at her in disbelief, he didn't even know what to think about it and, really, he never thought about it. If anyone should talk about her it should be the stripper, her boyfriend. Well, he knew she was strong, they had lived on the Phantom for some time and he saw the extent of her power in some missions they did together.

"I really don't know Juvia", was what he had to say. "Maybe, if someone threatens the stripper or he's being chained and tortured, cut, beaten, or simply with another..." he was talking but stopped when he noticed the heavy air around him and the murderous look of the rain woman for him.

"You'd better stop there Ga-jeel. Don't finish this sentence. Juvia wouldn't let anything bad happen to Gray-sama", she said frighteningly menacingly. Here was the strongest woman in the guild.

Ryker was walking calmly down the beach when a shrill voice caught his attention. And he soon knew who it was from.

"Fight me, Ryker!" yelled the always excited Natsu. Ryker, who was looking bored, sighed.

"Why do you want to fight so much, Natsu!? Is it a fetish?", the wizard scoffed.

"I'm always willing to fight strong guys and know their abilities and how far I can go. I always want to get stronger and this is the Fairy Tail way to be", the fire mage said with his usual full and cheerful and irritating smile.

" Aye sir!" , agreed Happy flying over his friend's head.

"I think you're just an idiot anyway," Gray commented.

"Shut up ice cube !" , Natsu replied.

"What did you say!?" growled the ice cream.

"Didn't you hear, or did your ice freeze your ears?" snarled back Natsu.

"Shut up you two!" yelled Ryker, bored out of it, the same thing every day. "You two look like boyfriends."

"WHAT!?" the two shouted.

"I would never date someone like Gray!" shouted the indignant fire mage.

"I say the same. I prefer death to that," replied an annoyed ice mage.

"Maybe you prefer Gajeel or, maybe, Laxus...", Ryker teased them.

"What did you sad? Are you implying something?" snarled Gray annoyed and indignant.

"Well, none of you denied that you would date a man, so…" Ryker continued with his insinuations.

"Shut up you pervert! I will kill you!" Gray yelled angrily as he lunged at Ryker.

"Look all right, but first put on some clothes," the wizard told his attacker.

"What!? When what?", the ice cream said coming out of his anger and going to look for the clothes he threw somewhere.

"I'm the pervert, but he's the one who undresses in front of another guy," Ryker said to himself, chuckling out of the corner of his mouth. He looked at Natsu who was looking him in the eye. Ryker sighed.

"Look Natsu, let's do this", he told to the fire mage. "If you punch me without using magic, I'll fight you."

Natsu's eyes sparkled with emotion. " Really!" , he said and the other mage waved. "Then get ready. I'm on fire", he said, went on the attack.

The battle caught the attention of the other guild members, though it wasn't actually a fight. Natsu was trying to hit Ryker who was only defending himself. Every punch or kick the fire mage attempted was effectively blocked by Ryker's hands, arms and legs.

"I thought you were the strongest wizard around here," teased Ryker.

"I am! I show you!" yelled Natsu, who lunged more fiercely at his opponent, but his blows were ineffective. Neither of them was entering, the other mage's block and dodges were almost perfect. It was like he guessed all Dragon Slayer moves. This was irritating the fire mage.

"Come on Natsu! Is that all you can get? Even Gray could do better than that," Ryker teased him every moment.

"Shut up!", screamed the fire, running and hitting hard, kicking harder, delivering more blows per second than before.

As I imagined, Ryker thought. "He's a hottie. It's just a little teasing and he gets angry. His punches are strong, but as he rages they lose efficiency, he doesn't think straight he just wants to hit and hit", he thought as he dodged Natsu's powerful attacks.

Natsu wasn't getting a chance to land any hits, everyone he tried was blocked or he dodged. This was ridiculous in Dragon Slayer's opinion.

"Come on you hot little brat !" , he provoked even more. "If you get mad like that, you'll never hit me," he said as he dodged his opponent's blows. "In a battle you have to stay calm, no matter how bad it gets."

"I've won a lot of battles, so shut up and fight!" yelled Natsu nervously.

"Battles with idiots don't count. If you catch someone smart you're going to lose, like this," Ryker said, his face denoting superiority and contempt, which pissed off the fire mage a lot. "A fight is won in the brain first, then in the fist. Always stay calm in a fight."

"Damn it! This guy is insane. Nothing worked, damn it!" he yelled at himself in frustration. "If I could use magic…Wait? I can! Since I'm right here, if I use magic he'll be forced to fight for real. What a genius I am," he praised himself in his mind. This was reflected in a mischievous face.

However, before he could use his magic, his arms were held by Ryker, in a crisscross manner, impossible to release. And in the blink of an eye Ryker tripped him, knocking him to the ground. Then the magician mounted on Natsu who, in an attempt to defend himself, gave his arm and got an armlock as a gift. Ryker immobilized him, to everyone's amazement. Once again Natsu lost and was knocked down.

"So, give up?", the mage said, tightening his grip on her arm a little.

"Never!" yelled Natsu, trying to break free and use magic, but Ryker pulled his arm even further and he felt the bone snap.

"I'll break if you don't give up," he said, and his tone meant he was telling the truth. Reluctantly Natsu surrendered, knowing he would lose his arm if he didn't.

"What the hell!" snorted the Dragon Slayer. "You beat me again, but next time I'll use magic and let's see who wins," he said excitedly and smiling. It was amazing how he could go from melancholy to euphoric in a second.

"I won you because you fell for my teasing", he said touching Natsu's forehead.

"Hey! That wasn't fair," complained the fire mage.

"Fair!? On a real battlefield there is no justice. You do what you have to do to win and protect your loved ones", he said looking at Wendy and Mira who were watching the fight, as well as the rest of the guild. Natsu looked at him with wide eyes, thinking about what he had said and replaying the entire fight.

"Well I'll go on that Natsu, see you around," Ryker said leaving the fire mage.

He was leaving the mess of fighting Natsu when he passed by Cana. She, as usual, was drinking a bottle of wine. They looked at each other and the Alberona winked seductively at him, who smiled with the corner of his mouth, understanding the signal. He nodded and continued on his way, she watched him walk away as she drank from the bottle, waiting for what the night would bring.

The day was drawing to a close and the soldier mage was sitting apart from the rest of the guild. He was just looking at the horizon, relaxing. Though it started off badly, he couldn't deny that it turned out well. Better than he thought.

"Ryker!?" a sweet voice called him, he looked in her direction.

"Wendy!? What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the others?", he questioned her.

"I can say the same," she said smiling as she sat down beside him.

"I like being alone," he replied. "But I don't think that's the case with you. Let's go stay with your friends. I'll be fine here," he told her. He didn't want her to be with someone who wouldn't bring fun into her life, even more so on this occasion. She deserved to have fun.

"I'm not alone, I'm with you and I don't want you to be here alone, either," Wendy said in her shy, smiling way. "Besides, sibling time is good," she laughed, and they looked at each other smiling at each other.

The moment between the two was even more special for Ryker. He really wanted to take care of and protect this girl, who looked so much like his friend, a living copy. But he saw her not as a substitute, but as an independent person, one he loved at heart and saw with a little sister, someone he could call family, real family. And brothers tease each other.

While Wendy was looking distracted Ryker took some sand in his hands and threw it over the poor child's head.

"AHW!" yelled Wendy. "Ryker! Why did you do that!?" whined the girl.

"Because brothers tease each other", he looked at her with an amused expression, and any and all discomfort that Wendy might suffer passed when she saw him like that, happy. And when he got distracted he got a blast of sand in his ear, too. It was a mischievous and smiling Wendy.

"I think I deserved it", he said wiping his ear and they laughed.

"Let's go," he said getting up.

"Where to?" asked the little magician.

"Where are the others?" he said smiling at her. "I'm not going to deprive you of their company just because of me, it would be selfish on my part", he said, and was hugged by the little girl.

"Thanks. I'm sure it will be better for you too, having fun with all of us", she said hugging him, so he could never refuse. They broke apart and walked back to the group.

"I've been in the dark for so long," he thought as he walked beside Wendy. "Maybe, just maybe, there's a light that I can see, maybe that light is this guild, maybe it's the people of this guild. Maybe there's hope."

Sekiro Yasai : I'll just leave the lemons hinted, I'm not going to make them explicit. This is for two reasons: I- I'm think this would not add anything to the story; and II- I wouldn't know how to write, kkkkk . But I'll leave it up to everyone's imagination what they do, hehehe.